Legislative Activity

The Protect America's Workforce Act nullifies a specific Executive Order issued in March 2025 concerning exclusions from federal labor-management relations programs. This legislation ensures that any existing collective bargaining agreements between federal agencies and employee unions remain fully in effect until their stated expiration dates. The Act also prohibits the use of federal funds to implement the overturned Executive Order.

This bill exempts specific, carefully defined less-than-lethal projectile devices and their ammunition from the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. It also removes these qualifying devices from regulation under the National Firearms Act. The legislation establishes clear criteria, including velocity limits and design restrictions, to ensure the exemption applies only to tools intended for de-escalation rather than lethal force. Manufacturers can request official classification for their products to confirm eligibility for these tax and regulatory benefits.

The CommonGround for Affordable Health Care Act extends enhanced premium tax credits for Marketplace health insurance through 2026, while also establishing strict new penalties and verification processes to combat fraud by agents and brokers in health insurance exchanges. Furthermore, the bill imposes significant new transparency and accountability requirements on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) contracting with Medicare Part D plans. Finally, it extends the 2026 open enrollment period and creates a fast-track legislative process for future premium tax credit reform bills.

The Bipartisan Health Insurance Affordability Act aims to lower healthcare costs by extending and enhancing premium tax credits for Marketplace insurance through 2027. It also institutes strict new anti-fraud measures and verification processes for agents and brokers enrolling consumers in Exchange plans. Furthermore, the bill imposes significant transparency and accountability requirements on Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in Medicare Part D and mandates a full pass-through of rebates in certain private health plans. Finally, it expands access to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for certain Exchange enrollees.

The Deter Obnoxious, Nefarious, and Outrageous Telephone Calls Act of 2025, or the DO NOT Call Act, establishes new criminal penalties for willful violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). This legislation also significantly increases the civil fines associated with providing inaccurate caller ID information. These measures aim to deter illegal and unwanted telemarketing and robocalls.

The Build Now Act of 2025 amends Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocations to incentivize local housing production. It adjusts funding for eligible cities and counties based on their "housing growth improvement rate," which measures recent changes in housing growth compared to prior periods. Jurisdictions showing significant improvement or extremely high growth receive bonus funds, while those with lagging growth see their allocations reduced. This system aims to reward and further support areas actively working to increase their housing supply.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act focuses primarily on improving pediatric drug development and ensuring patient access to necessary treatments. This legislation mandates new research requirements for molecularly targeted pediatric cancer drugs, strengthens FDA enforcement of pediatric study completion, and extends incentives for developing drugs for rare pediatric diseases. Additionally, the bill updates organ transplant network functions and establishes an Abraham Accords Office within the FDA to enhance international regulatory cooperation.

The Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act aims to promote ecosystem restoration projects in floodplains by streamlining regulatory processes. This bill exempts such projects from certain map change fees and allows for conditional approval within regulatory floodways under specific engineering and safety criteria. Ultimately, it directs FEMA to issue guidance to facilitate these beneficial restoration efforts.

This bill, the Fertilizer Research Act of 2025, mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture produce a comprehensive report on the U.S. fertilizer industry. The report must analyze market size, pricing trends over 25 years, import data, and supply chain dynamics. It will also evaluate industry concentration, compare emerging versus conventional fertilizers, and assess the need for mandatory public price reporting.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act prohibits discrimination based on religion, sex, or marital status in federally funded child welfare services. This aims to increase the number of stable, family-like placements for children, especially for LGBTQ youth who are overrepresented in foster care. The bill mandates federal guidance, training, and data collection to improve safety and well-being outcomes for all children involved in the system.

The Global Respect Act aims to promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI individuals worldwide. It mandates the President to identify and report foreign persons responsible for human rights violations against LGBTQI people, leading to their inadmissibility to the United States. Furthermore, the Act requires enhanced tracking and reporting of violence and discrimination targeting individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics in the annual human rights reports.

This bill, the International Human Rights Defense Act of 2025, establishes a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Peoples within the Department of State. It codifies U.S. policy to actively combat international criminalization, violence, and discrimination against LGBTQI+ individuals worldwide. The legislation also mandates enhanced reporting on these abuses in annual human rights reports and authorizes assistance to support related protection efforts abroad.

The Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025 ensures that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue without interruption if Congress fails to pass the full Department of Agriculture budget by October 1, 2025. This legislation authorizes automatic funding from the Treasury to maintain benefit payments. Furthermore, it guarantees that any benefits missed due to a funding lapse will be paid retroactively once the bill is enacted.

The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Modernization Act of 2025 mandates that group health plans and issuers provide comprehensive coverage for all stages of breast or chest wall reconstruction following breast cancer treatment. This coverage must include every modality, type, and procedural variation of reconstruction, as well as treatment for related complications like lymphedema. Furthermore, the bill requires plans to ensure in-network access to providers for these services and prohibits discrimination against patients seeking reconstruction.

The No Budget, No Pay Act mandates that Members of Congress will not receive their salary if they fail to pass both the budget resolution and all regular appropriations bills by the start of the new fiscal year on October 1st. Pay will be withheld for every day after October 1st until both requirements are met. Furthermore, this legislation explicitly prohibits any retroactive pay for the period during which Congress was non-compliant. The provisions of this Act are set to take effect on February 1, 2027.

The Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act of 2025 ensures that employees of federal contractors are compensated for losses incurred due to government funding lapses or shutdowns. It requires federal agencies to adjust existing contracts to cover reasonable costs associated with furloughs, pay cuts, or mandatory leave taken by contractor employees. The bill appropriates necessary funds to cover these contract price adjustments and mandates public reporting on the compensation provided.

The Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act (DRIVE-SAFE Act) establishes a structured apprenticeship program allowing drivers under 21 to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce. This program requires apprentices to complete 400 hours of supervised training, divided into two probationary phases focusing on foundational and advanced driving skills. Participation mandates specific vehicle technology, such as automatic transmissions and collision mitigation systems, and continuous supervision by an experienced driver.

The Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act streamlines the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) process for issuing certain nuclear facility permits and licenses. This legislation allows the NRC to issue permits without automatically holding a full hearing if no affected party requests one. It also updates procedures to favor informal hearings when they are held and modifies timing requirements for license issuance.

The SHINE for Autumn Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve federal support for state-level stillbirth research and data collection. It authorizes grants for states to enhance surveillance, track risk factors, and build local capacity for analyzing stillbirth data, provided the information remains de-identified. Furthermore, the bill mandates the development of standardized guidelines and educational materials regarding stillbirth awareness and risk factors, developed in consultation with experts and bereaved families.

The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2025 mandates that colleges receiving federal funds update their policies to explicitly prohibit and detail procedures for addressing harassment based on protected characteristics, including technology-facilitated abuse. The bill also establishes a competitive grant program, funded up to $50 million annually, to support campus efforts in harassment prevention, training, and support services. This legislation adds new requirements without superseding existing civil rights protections.